Criminal Record Certificate Translation for Australia

The Turkish document in the context of the AFP national police check

Australia’s own document is the national police check issued by the AFP (Australian Federal Police); the document submitted to show a history in Türkiye, however, is the Turkish criminal record certificate. Describing the Turkish document as an “AFP check” or a “national police certificate” would be wrong: it is a Turkish criminal record certificate, and it is translated under that identity. Since the document is read alongside the application form and the passport, the spelling of your name must be the same in all three; the translation carries identity details across without interpreting them. Inconsistent handling of Turkish special characters makes one person look like two.

The distinction between the record and the archive record

In Türkiye the document can be obtained either as a criminal record certificate or as a criminal record archive certificate; the two cover different ground, and some Australian authorities ask for the archive certificate, which shows the history in full. The translation states correctly, by name, which type the document is; translating an archive certificate merely as a “criminal record” misrepresents its scope. Confirming in the application guidance which type is wanted keeps you from having the wrong document translated.

The “no record” statement is the substance of the document

In most cases the only substantive information a criminal record certificate carries is whether or not the person has a record. The statement that there is no criminal record is the substance of the document and is translated plainly and in full; in English it is met by a phrase along the lines of “no criminal record”, but the translation conveys what the document says. Where there is a record, every line, the nature of the offence, the decision and the date, is reproduced exactly; no section is summarised. The document is short but legally weighty, and it is carried across without commentary.

The NAATI stamp is compulsory

A translation submitted for official purposes in Australia must be made by a translator certified by NAATI, and it must bear the NAATI stamp; however well made, a translation without the stamp will not be accepted. The translator’s number on the stamp has to be visible in the translation, and it is equally important to verify that the certification is valid for translating from Turkish into English. On an e-Devlet printout, the QR code and the verification reference are indicated with [QR code] and [e-signature verification] notes; no attempt is made to decode the contents of the code. The short content of a criminal record certificate is likewise carried across by the NAATI translator in full and without commentary.

If there is a record: getting the legal terms right

Where the document does contain a record, each entry is translated so that its legal meaning survives; concepts such as a judicial fine, imprisonment, a suspended sentence or the deferral of the announcement of the verdict are not equated one to one with an institution of Australian law. Turning a Turkish sentence directly into an Australian offence category creates a false impression of equivalence for the authority applying the character requirement; the sound approach is to translate the concept faithfully and add a parenthetical explanation where necessary. The nature of the offence, the relevant statutory provision, the decision and the date are carried across as they stand. Any wording on the restoration of forfeited rights or on the deletion of the record is translated too, without omission, because such wording shows the current legal status of the record. The assessing authority draws its own conclusions about the weight of the record from this raw information; the job of a NAATI translation is not interpretation but complete and accurate conveyance.

Currency, the apostille and the order of certification

A criminal record certificate shows a state of affairs on a given date, and many Australian recipients expect a recently issued copy. The translation reproduces the date of issue exactly and cannot bring an old document up to date. Before you submit:

• Always verify that the translation bears the NAATI stamp.
• Check that the “no record” statement has been translated plainly, and check the type of document.
• Have the document translated while it is fresh; obtain the apostille before the translation.

Australia is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; check the current position on the official HCCH list. You can see the level of certification other documents require on our document types page, review the cost on our pricing page, and upload your document for a quote. Translations are handled from our single office in Ankara Kızılay. Acceptance conditions differ from one authority to another, so ask for confirmation in advance.